Okay, Brindle and Redyre! Look here!

[gritsar]

How do I teach Jax to "speak"? He's picked up his other tricks real easily, but I can't seem to teach him this one.
Meanwhile, DH and I look like idiots barking and feeding each other treats.

Edited for spelling.

 

[Brindlebtch]

I bet you do!

I know I look pretty silly a lot training my dog.

You can start by saying speak whenever he barks at something else. Speak! Good speak! Good speak!

Does he bark when ya'll get real excited about something? Like take one of his toys and get real excited but don't give it to him. Will he bark for it? If he doesn't bark he can't have it.

What will he bark for or about?

 

[gritsar]

He only barks when he senses danger - like my reflection in the window.

He talks alot. Don't know how to describe it in written words. DH will be playing with him - wrestling - and DH will say "I love you Jax" and Jax replies wuhhh wuhhh wuhhh.
Does that make sense?

I like your idea about praising him for speaking.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yep, that's what I've heard as well, reward him for barking and he will learn fast!

Does he get excited like if you act like a total idiot(...you know, nothing out of the ordinary

) does he get excited? Try doing anything to get him to bark, say 'speak' and give him a cookie. He'll catch on

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
That's what we've been trying. I've had so many liver treats under my nose (when I bark) I got sick to my stomach.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Quote:
We also teach our dogs WOO. Maybe you can start with woo since he does that readily?

Our dogs will speak, woo, and I have one that will also howl, but I have to howl with her. I look silly a lot.

 

[gritsar]

Thanks!

He heard the coyotes howling for the first time last night. He was VERY INTERESTED.
Think we'll skip the howling part, k?

 

[Brindlebtch]

Still praise him for speaking when he barks, if that is a goal. He just sort of sounds like the strong silent type so woo might be easier initially. I really would encourage you to skip the howl!

 

[lurky]

Dogs learn everything faster with a clicker. I thought it sounded kinda corny when i was first learning animal training, but it was unreal how it sped up the process of all the training.
You can clicker train any animal, and its now moving into helping learning impaired children.
www.clickertraining.com

 

[Wolf-Kim]

We teach ours by first making them sit, showing them the treat, then by saying "speak!" and if they don't make a peep we whine or bark at them. Eventually at some point they make A sound, usually a whine or a woof. The moment they make any sound at all, reward them. Once they learn they are treated for making even the slighted vocal sound, they'll eventually get stronger and louder.